The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued an early morning update today, and here’s the skinny: Friday's forecast has changed slightly, as the once-anticipated strong thunderstorms now seem less likely to occur, though a non-zero chance remains, according to the Area Forecast Discussion. Showers are still expected to hit on Friday, accompanied by strong gusty winds, especially with an 850mb jet stream coming into play, but instability appears meager for significant storm development.
The weekend will rev up with more wind for the area, particularly on Sunday, with a Wind Advisory on the table for E. Tucker County; this means Pittsburgh folks should brace for a blustery end to their weekend, the National Weather Service indicated the eastern downslopes along the PA and WV border ridges could see the most action, but probabilities for severe gusts drop noticeably once you hit the lowlands. Additionally, temperatures are going to take a nosedive by Sunday, flipping the script back to snow showers that may pile up some minor accumulations into Monday, but the experts have yet to commit to precise snowfall predictions at this time.
Moving on to aviation concerns, if you're taking to the skies, expect some early morning fog that should clear post-sunrise, tagged with VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions for most of the daylight span, some morning fog clearing with sunrise/increased cirrus coverage, the National Weather Service explained in their dispatch. Winds on the ground are staying tame through Thursday, but will kick up tonight, potentially necessitating awareness of low-level wind shear for any late-night flyers.
All the weather details aside, it's business as usual with no advisories or extra caution notes currently posted for PA, OH, or WV, so keep calm and carry on, Pittsburghers. As for your Friday through Monday, pack a sturdy umbrella, tie down any loose patio furniture, and keep an eye on the sky.
